Miniature counter having zero reset push buttons

Abstract

A counter comprising a U-shaped frame, a plurality of digit wheels each having a heart-shaped cam, pinions respectively located between adjacent digit wheels for shifting the digit, a zero resetting bracket which supports the pinions and including a plurality of press members for pressing the heart-shaped cams, a reset button for operating the zero resetting bracket to disengage the digit wheels from the pinions and to press the heart-shaped cams with the press members thereby resetting the digit wheels to zero and drive means for driving the digit wheel. A plurality of slots are provided in the frame at positions beneath respective digit wheels for receiving respective heart-shaped cam push members. A cover including a magnifying lens for reading the numerical data displayed by the digit wheels is mounted on the frame to cover the digit wheels. The reset button is supported by the cover.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A miniature counter resetable to zero by a pushbutton comprising: a substantailly U-shaped frame having a bottom plate and a pair of parallel upright side plates at opposite ends of the bottom plate, said bottom plate being provided with a plurality of centrally located slots extending parallel to said side plates and an upright projection near one of said side plates and spaced therefrom, each of said side plates being provided with a pair of shaft openings and a recess on the inner surface for defining shoulders spaced from said shaft openings;   a digit wheel shaft with opposite ends thereof securely fitted in one of said shaft openings in each side plate;   a plurality of digit wheels rotatably mounted on said digit wheel shaft, each digit wheel being provided with a gear on one side, a heart-shaped cam on the opposite side, and a digit shift pin gear around a portion of the perimeter of the digit wheel;   a zero resetting bracket member including a shaft, the opposite ends of which are securely fitted into the other shaft openings in said side plates, said zero resetting bracket member including a base provided with a bore through which said shaft loosely extends, a pair of opposed parallel supports at both ends of said base, each said support being provided with a shaft opening, and a plurality of cam press members having free ends extending beneath said respective digit wheels, said press members being of the same number as said digit wheels and said press members extending parallel to said side plates;   a pinion shaft extending through the shaft openings in the supports of said zero resetting bracket member, the ends of said pinion shaft extending beyond said supports to abut against said shoulders defined by said recess of said side plates so as to determine a minimum distance between the axes of said digit wheel shaft and of said pinion shaft;   a plurality of pinions rotatably mounted on said pinion shaft, each pinion being positioned adjacent one of said digit wheels so as to drivably mesh with the gear thereof, the pinion corresponding to the digit wheel of the second and subsequent orders of magnitude being drivably engaged by the digit shift pin gear of the digit wheel of the next lower order of magnitude such that when the last mentioned digit wheel completes one revolution, it steps the digit wheel having the next higher order of magnitude;   a reset button positioned between one of said side plates and said projection of said bottom plate so as to be slidable parallel to said side plates, said reset button being provided with an operating member adapted to engage an end of said pinion shaft at a point where it projects beyond the support of said zero resetting bracket member;   drive means for driving the digit wheel representing the lowest order of magnitude;   said press members of said zero resetting bracket member being respectively received in said slots of said bottom plate under normal conditions, whereby when said reset button is depressed, its operating member presses the projected end of said pinion shaft causing said zero resetting bracket member to rotate and disengage said pinions from said digit wheels and to withdraw said press members from said slots of said base plate such that said press members operatively engage their corresponding heart-shaped cams and thereby reset the digit wheels to zero.   
     
     
       2. A miniature counter according to claim 1 and further comprising a cover which is mounted between said side plates and above said digit wheels, said cover being made of a transparent synthetic resinous material and being provided with a window portion through which said numerical data displayed by said digit wheels may be read, and having a notch into which the operating member of said reset button projects, and wherein said reset button is supported by one of said side plates, the projection of said bottom plate, and said cover plate. 
     
     
       3. A miniature counter reset to zero by a push button comprising: a substantially U-shaped frame having a bottom plate and a pair of parallel upstanding side plates at opposite ends thereof, each one of said side plates being provided with a pair of shaft openings and a recess on the inner surface thereof for defining a shoulder spaced from one of said shaft openings;   a digit wheel shaft having its ends securely fitted into one of said shaft openings in each side plate;   a plurality of digit wheels rotatably mounted on said digit wheel shaft, each said digit wheel being provided with a gear on one side, a heart-shaped cam on the opposite side, and a digit shift pin gear disposed on the perimeter of the digit wheel;   a zero resetting bracket member including a shaft with its opposite ends securely fitted into the other shaft openings in each said side plate, a base provided with a bore through which said shaft loosely extends, a pair of opposed parallel supports at the ends of said base, each said support being provided with a shaft opening, and a plurality of press members extending parallel to said side plates and having free ends respectively extending beneath said digit wheels, the number of said press members being of the same as that of said digit wheels;   a pinion shaft extending through the shaft opening in the supports of said zero resetting bracket member such that the ends thereof abut against said shoulders defined by said recesses of said side plates and thereby determine the distance between the axes of said digit wheel and said pinion shaft;   a plurality of pinions rotatably mounted on said pinion shaft, each said pinion being positioned between adjacent digit wheels so as to mesh with gear of the digit wheel representing the higher order of magnitude, each said pinion being driven one step by the digit shaft pin gear of he lower magnitude digit wheel when it completes one revolution;   a reset button positioned between one of said side plates and said projection of said bottom plate so as to be slidable parallel to said side plates, said reset button being provided with an operating member adapted to engage an end of said pinion shaft at a point where said shaft projects beyond the support of said zero resetting bracket member;   drive means for driving the digit wheel representing the lowest order of magnitude;   a cover mounted between said side plates and above said digit wheels, said cover being made of a transparent synthetic resin and having a numerical digit read section in the form of a lens which magnifies the numerical data displayed on the perimeter surfaces of said digit wheels, the portions of said cover other than said lens being opaque so as to conceal the interior of said counter.   
     
     
       4. A miniature counter according to claims 1 or 3 wherein one or more small openings are formed near the upper edges of said side plates and dowel pins corresponding to said small openings are formed on both side edges of said cover whereby said cover is mounted on said frame by engaging said dowel pins with said corresponding small openings. 
     
     
       5. A miniature counter according to claims 1 or 3 wherein one or more small openings are formed near the upper and side edges of said side plates, and dowel pins corresponding to said small openings are formed on both side edges of said cover whereby said cover is mounted on said the upper side or lateral side of said frame by engaging said dowel pins with said corresponding small openings. 
     
     
       6. A miniature counter according to claims 1 or 3 wherein said drive means comprises a bearing sleeve mounted at substantially the center of one side of said bottom plate, a drive shaft rotatably supported by said bearing sleeve and driven by an external drive source, and a worm formed at one end of said drive shaft to mesh with the pinion engaged with the gear of said digit wheel representing the lowest order of magnitude. 
     
     
       7. A miniature counter according to claim 6 wherein said pinion includes a helical gear meshing said worm and a spur gear meshing the gear of said digit wheel representing the lowest order of magnitude, said helical gear including teeth of an even number with alternating teeth being pointed and the remaining teeth being rounded, and wherein said counter further comprises pinion aligning means so that when said counter is reset by said reset button, said pinions are aligned by said aligning means so that one of said pointed teeth engages said worm upon release of the reset button.